1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a cementing process for oil field applications and more particularly to a wellbore cementing process wherein the wellbore penetrates a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation.
2. Description of Related Art
Portland cement is commonly used in oil well cement jobs. Portland cements can be tailor-made for the specific conditions of each well. A description of the state of the art in oil well cementing technology is given in Basic Cementing, Petroleum Publishing Co., 1977 (reprinted from a series of articles appearing in the Oil and Gas Journal) and Rike, J. L., et al, Squeeze Cementing: State of The Art, Journal of Petroleum Technology, (January 1982), pp. 37-45.
Field practices for cementing are largely a product of trial and error by field personnel to meet irregularities in the cementing composition and the downhole environment. Cement quality control is difficult to achieve under such conditions. As a result, Portland cement jobs can result in premature set-up, cracking, or shrinking.
A cementing process is needed which employs a cement having a broad range of highly controllable and predictable set-up times and which economically provides ease of operation and design. A cementing process is needed which substitutes a cement for Portland cement in conventional cementing processes which is not as susceptible to shrinking and cracking.